I am a relaoding virgin folks...I'm getting ready to load my first 20 rounds for my Savage Model 10 .243. My question is: When cleaning the brass in the tumbler, Do I need to use two different medias? Is one media for cleaning and the other for polishing? If so, what are your recommendations for each step. I hear/read that polishing is not necessary, but I figure if I'm going thru all this to reload , I want shiny perty brass too. lol . Thanks in advance folks.

Aaron

I use one and it works fine. The only problem is I store it in an unmarked pail so I don't remember what brand it is. Just call the 1-800 # for Midway USA and they'll tell ya what to get.

Two media are not really necessary. Really grungy brass (range pickings) may benefit from abrasive-containing media, but I've gotten nice brass with plain walnut or pecan shells, or commercial corn cob, anything, including the ground corn cob sold for lizard terrariums (cheaper!) as long as it's small enough to get in all the crevices. Time is the mos important element.
If you are using an abrasive, like jeweler's rouge, be sure to wipe it off with a damp cloth, or it will wear your reloading dies rapidly.

Thanks folks. Between the internet and talking with people in person, so many have told me I need to usea few drops of something along the lines of jewelers rouge or mothers metal polish in with the media to get the clean shiny brass...and yet a few others tell me that I don't need to use anything other than the media and the casings will turn out shiny just like never fired fresh brass. Normally I can listen to all the info recieved and weed out the B.S., but this time it's not so easy. lol .

I use treated corn cob. My brass usually comes out nice and shiny unless it was badly tarnished for some reason and even then it comes out looking good, it just may have a black spot on it that wouldn't polish out.

Since this is your first time, be sure to check the primer flash hole after you pull your brass out of your tumbler, sometimes media gets stuck in the flash hole.

I will be using compressed air to make sure the brass is free from media. Do you add the treatment yourself or do you purchase pretreated corn cob media?

I use walnut Lizard Litter from the pet store, no additives. I resize/deprime and then toss the case into the tumbler to get the lube off since I hate wiping cases. Run em for a while, use a small nail to poke any media out of the flash hole and then check the length, trim if needed, and seat primers.

Dale

All my brass is once fired, so i'm thinking I'll get some walnut shells or lizard bedding and some corn cob media and see which results I like the best. Just something about putting a dirty grungy looking reload in my gun is un appealing.

i hope the air works for you. I took an old depriming pin and inserted it in a large screwdriver handle to clean the flash hole.

The only reason I say I'm gonna use air is because my air compressor is only 10-12 feet away. Who knows, I just may end up using your method. Having never reloaded before, i have no clue what will work or what will work best. Trial and error time. lol

The corn cob media I use comes pre-treated. As for clearing the primer flash holes, I use a very sophisticated tool, it's called a tooth pick.

Lol grandpops. After you tumble the brass in the treated corn cob media, do you then go thru and wipe down all the casings or no?

Better yet, no tumbler at all. Have been reloading for a year now .We reload .300 win mag. I really do not care what the shells look like. They do not have to be pretty tp work. Noe if someone whants to tell me why I should be tumbling my brass, then I will listen.
Joe Termite

I know it is not necessary to tumble the brass, but I figure I'm just starting into hopefully a life long venture of relaoding so I want to go the whole process. A great friend and co worker has been reloading for years without tumbling or cleaning his brass and always achieves great results and accuracy, but he is going to start tumbling soon also just because he is tired of looking at dirty and dingy looking brass.

I'll normally wipe my brass with a shop towel as I take it out of the tumbler and pick the flash hole.

Joe, Like I said before, I tumble because I hate wiping off case lube. So after they come out of the sizing die, they go right into the tumbler. I got along fine for years without a tumbler, but finally got tired of wiping. Carbide pistol dies require no lube but I'll still do pistol cases sometimes, just because I have the tumbler.

And yes, I've tried the spray on lube that doesn't need wiped, I prefer regular lube.

Dale

Has anyone tried the new sonic cleaners? This seems to be the way to go if you don't have a cleaner, I am just curious.

Joe
There are several GOOD reasons to clean your brass. As has been stated you NEED to removve the case lube from the cases for several reasons. The case lube easily attractes dirt and you of course don't need or want that on your case when you insert it into your gun. Also the case lube changes the dynamic inside the chamber and can result in increased chamber pressures and case setback. Both are unwanted things and potentially dangerous espically when you are running high pressures. Like the 300 win mag. Also all cases are subject to carbon and powder residue build up both inside and outside of the case and these are unwanted things as well. You really need to rethink your system!!

As for media I use a mix of corn cob and crushed walnut. The corn cob is a little less dusty and the walnut is very dusty so I mix them to cut down on the dust and to mitigate the abrasiveness of the walnut some. After they are stirred up a bit in the tumbler I add a small amount of brass polish and let it mix in as well. Do not add the brass until the polish has mixed well or it will get inside the cases and it is a PITA to clean up. Put the brass in the pot for a couple hours and nice thing are the result.
When the polish media gets a little dirty some times the cases will require a little hand work depending on what kind of lube you use on the cases when sizing. To solve that problem just have two mixes and clean the sizing residue off with clean corncob and due the polishing with the walnut and corncob mix and add a little brass polish every now and then.
PURTY BRASS always shoots better..

I throw a piece of used dryer sheet into the tumbler, it helps with the dust issue.

Dale

Anyone have any personal experience with the Frankford arsenal tumblers? This is the one I'm looking to get this week.
Frankford Arsenal Quick n Ez Reloading Tumbler 110V US 855020

I had a Frankford Arsenal tumbler for about 20 years before it quit on me,but I probably don't reload as much as some of these other guys because I don't shoot as much as I use too.

Most all the reviews I have read are quite favorable. I will only be reloading 200-300 shells a year for the first few years. Right now, I'm starting with my .243 and the next one will be my S&W 500 revolver. I don't shoot this revolver much now because at upwards of $4 a shot, it's too darn expensive. lol

I use corn media with a few drops of Berrys polish in each load...I usually uniform my flash holes ,especially on hunting rounds, so that helps clear any media from the primer pockets....My son owns a  Frankford Arsenal tumbler and he seems to like it....

What do you mean by "uniform my flash holes"?

Using a flash hole uniforming tool to make sure the flash holes are all round, the proper diameter and any extra brass from punching out the holes during the manufacturing process is removed.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/72...ormer-tool

Ah, ok . I remember seeing this tool now. Thanks

Has anyone ever tried using sand as a media for tumbling? More specifically, mason's sand?

I have used only the walnut media with Berrys polish. I deprime my brass first and then tumble them. That way I only put clean brass through my resizing die. I then put them back into the tumbler to remove the sizing lube and proceed to clean them out and continue reloading. Works for me.

I tried crushed corn cob and ut worked well, but it packed into the casings and I had to dig it out of each and every casing. Corn cob is probably better suited for straight wall casings. I will be using walnut hulls, but I work at a ready mix concrete plant with literally tons of sand and it got me curious as to whether or not anyone has or still does use sand.

Sand is too corse. It'll shorten the useful life of your brass.

Compared to other media for cleaning brass, sand is HARD, might be hard on the brass. And if any doesn't get removed, it could chew up the dies.

The "hardness" factor is the first thing that came to mind when a friend suggested sand. By the way, my Frankford Arsenal Tumbler arrived about 2 weeks ago...first batch of 120 .243 casing came out beautifully clean and shiny after 2 hrs. I will not use corn cob on necked down rifle casing ever again. lol . I had to hand pick all the cob material out of each and every shell. Got me some english walnut shells now.

Is that the treated corn cob stuff?  I only run plain and I've never had any pack in that tight, tap the case on the side of the tumbler a couple of times and it all comes out.  223 is definitely tougher to get out than 270 but it all comes out.  I have to tap with walnut too.

Dale

I've always used corn cob in my tumbler. The media should be dry. I leave the tumbler running as I remove the brass out of it and will momentarly touch the base of the case to the threaded stem for that goes up through the lid for the lid nut. Any media still in the shell case easly comes out. Then I use a thooth pick to remove any media stuck in the primer flash hole.

I shoot about 3000 rounds a year and reload everything , I shoot .223- .338mag and 9mm,38,357mag,40s&w and 45auto and , I allways use brown corn or the green corn and have never had a problem.. If someone is having a problem or has any qusetions about reloading please feel free to contact me through the club or Grandpops knows how to get a hold of me... LM NAHC, LM NRA, LM National Match Shooters Assc. And Retired USMC Sniper..

The corn cob media that I have is not treated, it is bone dry. I definitely could not tap it on the side of the bowl or hold it against the hold down stud, I had to use an automotive style/dental pick to remove the cob from the casings.Thank you Cherokee, I sincerely appreciate you offering up your knowledge and experience. I'm sure I will be contacting you and grandpops in the future. lol.

Are you talking a case full of media? Or just a grain or two stuck in the flash hole? I've used corn cob and I've used walnut and never had any stick so bad that is had to be dug out. Smaller neck diameters are more difficult than big (love that 358 Win) but it all comes out. And I see no difference between corn and walnut. Something is strange or I'm not understanding you and your problem.

Dale

I use crushed walnut in a Hornody tumbler and am very happy.  A little media gets in some of the flash holes but I hit each cartridge with the air gun, even those that look clear..
Quick and thorough

dk99300....the cases, all of them, are packed full. Not just a few pieces, but packed right full. I picked up the corn cob media at the local Country Max(farm supply store) in the pet section. I'm thinking if I put the corn cob media in a blender and give it a few pulses to break it down to smaller pieces, it will work much better. The corn cob pieces are much larger size in comparison to the crushed walnut media.

OK now I understand. On the bright side, the stuff is probably too big to stick in the flash hole.

Dale

Oh no it's not dk99300 ! lol . I'm gonna give it a few pulses in the blender and nock the size down and see what happens. On a brighter side....the Frankford Arsenal works GREAT !

Glad to here that.(About the tumbler that is )

Well, you could always get whatever sort of pet the corncob was intended for. 

good luck with it,

Dale

LMAO dk.....I'm trying to reduce the number of pets in this house as it is, I don't need nor want another one at this point in time. lol